Meet the innovators transforming Nigeria’s digital landscape.
Introduction
Nigeria’s tech ecosystem is experiencing unprecedented growth, driven by visionary entrepreneurs who are leveraging technology to solve real-world problems. From fintech to edtech, these founders are not only disrupting traditional industries but also positioning Nigeria as a global tech hub. This list highlights ten tech founders whose innovative solutions and leadership are making significant impacts in 2025.
1. Olugbenga Agboola – Flutterwave
Sector: Fintech
Why He Stands Out: As the CEO and co-founder of Flutterwave, Olugbenga Agboola has been instrumental in simplifying payments across Africa. Recognizing the fragmented and often cumbersome nature of payment processing across the continent, Agboola, a seasoned payments expert with prior experience at companies like PayPal and Standard Bank, co-founded Flutterwave in 2016. Under his leadership, Flutterwave has expanded its services to over 20 African countries, facilitating seamless transactions for businesses and individuals alike.
The company’s innovative solutions, including Rave (for merchants) and GetBarter (for consumers), have attracted significant investments from global players like Tiger Global and Visa, making it one of Africa’s leading fintech companies and a unicorn valued at over $3 billion. Agboola’s vision extends beyond just payments; he aims to build the underlying infrastructure for the digital economy in Africa.
2. Shola Akinlade – Paystack
Sector: Fintech
Why He Stands Out: Shola Akinlade co-founded Paystack in 2015 with the mission of providing a modern, reliable, and developer-friendly payment solution for Nigerian businesses. Recognizing the frustrations faced by merchants with existing payment gateways, Akinlade, a software engineer by trade, focused on building a platform with robust APIs, excellent customer support, and high transaction success rates.
The company quickly gained traction among startups and established businesses alike, becoming a key enabler of Nigeria’s burgeoning e-commerce sector. Paystack’s commitment to innovation and user experience led to its acquisition by Stripe, a global payments giant, in 2020 for over $200 million, marking a significant milestone and validation of Nigeria’s tech potential on the world stage. Akinlade continues to influence the fintech space as Paystack’s CEO, focusing on expanding digital payment infrastructure and empowering more African businesses to thrive online.
3. Tosin Eniolorunda – Moniepoint (formerly TeamApt)
Sector: Fintech
Why He Stands Out: Tosin Eniolorunda founded Moniepoint (originally known as TeamApt) in 2015 with a strong focus on addressing the financial inclusion gap in Nigeria, particularly for the underserved small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) sector. Recognizing that traditional banking often neglects the unique needs of these businesses, Eniolorunda, with a background in engineering and finance, developed a digital banking platform that provides a range of services tailored for SMEs, including point-of-sale (POS) terminals, agency banking, and digital payments.
Moniepoint’s user-friendly platform and its extensive network of agents across Nigeria have garnered widespread adoption, enabling millions of previously unbanked or underbanked individuals and businesses to access essential financial services, significantly impacting Nigeria’s digital economy and driving financial inclusion at scale. The company has also expanded its offerings to include personal banking features, solidifying its position as a key player in the Nigerian fintech landscape.
4. Iyinoluwa Aboyeji – Future Africa
Sector: Venture Capital / Tech Ecosystem
Why He Stands Out: Iyinoluwa Aboyeji is a highly respected serial entrepreneur and investor with a significant track record of building impactful tech companies in Africa. He is known for co-founding two of Nigeria’s most prominent tech ventures: Andela, a company that trains and connects African software developers with global companies, and Flutterwave. Recognizing the critical need for more local capital and strategic support for African innovators,
Aboyeji co-founded Future Africa in 2019. Through this venture capital firm, he invests in mission-driven African tech startups in their early stages, providing them not only with crucial capital but also with invaluable mentorship, access to a strong network of advisors and partners, and strategic guidance needed to navigate the challenges of scaling their solutions across the continent. Aboyeji’s deep understanding of the African tech landscape and his unwavering commitment to nurturing the next generation of tech talent continue to significantly shape the continent’s startup ecosystem and inspire countless aspiring entrepreneurs.
5. Tope Awotona – Calendly
Sector: SaaS / Productivity
Why He Stands Out: While Tope Awotona’s success story has global reach, his Nigerian heritage and entrepreneurial journey serve as a powerful inspiration for founders across Africa. Awotona founded Calendly, a leading scheduling automation platform, in 2013 after experiencing firsthand the frustrations of inefficient meeting scheduling. Recognizing a universal pain point, he built an intuitive and user-friendly SaaS solution that has since become a staple for professionals and businesses worldwide, streamlining the process of booking meetings and appointments.
Calendly’s widespread adoption and its significant valuation underscore Awotona’s ability to identify a global need and build a globally competitive tech solution from the ground up. His journey from Nigeria to becoming a successful Silicon Valley entrepreneur provides a compelling narrative for Nigerian entrepreneurs aspiring to build world-class tech companies.
6. Blessing Abeng – Ingressive for Good
Sector: Tech Education / Non-Profit
Why She Stands Out: Blessing Abeng is a prominent figure in Nigeria’s tech ecosystem, recognized for her passion for empowering African youth with in-demand tech skills. As co-founder of Ingressive for Good (I4G), a non-profit organization, she has been instrumental in bridging the tech talent gap in Africa.
I4G provides crucial tech training, mentorship, and resources, including scholarships, coding bootcamps, and job placement opportunities, to thousands of young Africans, particularly those from underserved communities. Abeng’s dedication extends beyond just providing skills; she focuses on creating pathways for these individuals to enter the tech industry and contribute to its growth. Her work with Ingressive for Good is directly contributing to the development of a strong and diverse tech talent pool in Nigeria and across the continent, making her a key influencer in the edtech and social impact space.
7. Maya Horgan Famodu – Ingressive Capital
Sector: Venture Capital
Why She Stands Out: Maya Horgan Famodu is a dynamic and influential venture capitalist focused on investing in the next generation of African tech startups. She established Ingressive Capital with a clear vision: to provide not only much-needed early-stage funding but also strategic mentorship, operational support, and access to a valuable network of investors and industry experts to promising African entrepreneurs. Recognizing the funding gap that often hinders the growth of startups on the continent, Famodu has built Ingressive Capital into a significant player in the African venture capital landscape.
Her firm’s investments span various sectors, including fintech, e-commerce, and SaaS, and her hands-on approach to supporting her portfolio companies has earned her a reputation as a valuable partner for ambitious founders looking to scale their businesses effectively and attract further investment. Famodu’s work is crucial in fostering a more robust and well-funded African tech ecosystem.
8. Pleasant Balogun – Zeddpay
Sector: Fintech
Why He Stands Out: Pleasant Balogun’s story is particularly inspiring as he founded Zeddpay at a remarkably young age of 17. Recognizing the persistent challenges of financial inclusion in Nigeria, where a significant portion of the population remains unbanked, Balogun developed an innovative platform that enables users to make and receive payments using airtime as a viable alternative to traditional banking methods.
This ingenious solution leverages the widespread mobile phone penetration in Nigeria to provide a more accessible and convenient way for individuals to participate in the digital economy, particularly those in rural or underserved areas. Zeddpay’s unique approach to overcoming barriers to financial access through the creative use of existing mobile infrastructure highlights Balogun’s entrepreneurial spirit and his potential to significantly impact financial inclusion in Nigeria.
9. Boye Ademola – Bazaa Technologies
Sector: Artificial Intelligence
Why He Stands Out: Boye Ademola is a forward-thinking leader at the helm of Bazza Technologies, a company focused on unlocking the transformative potential of Artificial Intelligence for businesses in Nigeria and beyond. Recognizing the growing importance of AI in driving efficiency, innovation, and economic growth, Ademola is dedicated to developing and deploying AI-powered solutions across various industries within the Nigerian context.
His work emphasizes the practical applications of AI, aiming to help businesses optimize their operations, gain valuable insights from data, and create new opportunities. Ademola is a strong advocate for the responsible and strategic integration of AI in Nigeria, highlighting its potential to contribute significantly to the country’s economic development and position it as a player in the global AI landscape.
10. Tiwalola Olanubi Jnr. – Dotts Media House
Sector: Digital Marketing / Tech
Why He Stands Out: Tiwalola Olanubi Jnr. founded Dotts Media House, which has grown into a leading digital marketing agency in Africa, demonstrating the powerful intersection of digital media and technology in driving business growth. Recognizing the evolving landscape of marketing and the increasing importance of online engagement, Olanubi has built Dotts Media House into a dynamic agency that leverages innovative digital strategies, including social media marketing, influencer marketing, and content creation, to help numerous brands effectively connect with their target audiences across the continent.
His agency’s success underscores the critical role of digital marketing in today’s business environment and showcases the talent and innovation within Nigeria’s digital media sector. Olanubi’s entrepreneurial journey and his agency’s impact on brand building and audience engagement make him a significant figure in Nigeria’s tech-driven marketing landscape.
Conclusion
These ten tech founders exemplify the innovation and resilience driving Nigeria’s tech industry forward. Their diverse ventures not only address local challenges but also position Nigeria as a significant player in the global tech arena. As they continue to break new ground, their journeys offer valuable insights and inspiration for aspiring entrepreneurs across the continent.
